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Geography
The city of Beldin is located at the mouth of the Karen River, south of the Spine of the World, and west of Luskan. The Karen River Valley is a glacial valley, carved out from the tundra many thousands of years ago. The temperature is cool, but not cold. It sometimes snows, but the snow never accumulates on the ground. The city itself is situated on a giant rock in the midst of the river delta. While Beldin is a small city, it carries on brisk trade with the Ten Towns and Neverwinter. Its bay is well protected by fog banks, treacherous rocks, and sand bars, so that only skilled native navigators can reach the harbor in safety. Thus, Beldin is well protected from the often hostile pirate city of Luskan. About a day's walk up the river is the halfling village of Riverfern--a small agricultural community along the river bank. The village is protected by the Lester Castle, though it is said that the halflings do not always appreciate the aid the Lesters give against the goblin raiders from the nearby Amyryn woods. A few miles farther up the valley, the cliff walls close in on the river for a few miles. This is known as the Karen Gorge. The town of Karenlynn is built at the northern end of the gorge, where the river splits. Rising above Karenlynn is the mountain known as Astrid Rock. Once a stronghold of the Aurilites, it was taken by Beldin and given to the knights of Beldin. The castle of Astrid Keep now guards the north of the kingdom atop of Astrid Rock. To the east of Astrid Rock and Karenlynn lies the Mire and the Forest of Wyrms. Both of these are the property of the noble house of Nightshade, but the Mire is a largely useless land filled with hostile lizardfolk, and the Forest of Wyrms--though not as dangerous as its name suggests, is largely tangled and unpassable wilderness. The road to the north passes along the western side of Astrid Rock, though the Aelfwood. The southern edge of the Aelfwood is the northern border of the kingdom of Beldin. Past the estates of the Greenwoods is outside of the kingdom. The elven city of Siluvan lays claim to the rest of the Aelfwood. Siluvan is a city in the trees, hidden in the heart of the Aelfwood. Also hidden somewhere in the Aelfwood is the wild elven settlement of Mestarenial, and the caves of the Despana Drow. In the north of the forest, the druids have a grove known as the Roscoe. North of Astrid Rock, the river reunites, and at the fords is the trading post known as Wycliffe. The Uthgardt who travel through the Morraines sometimes come to Wycliffe to trade and to camp for a time. North of Wycliffe are the Morraines and the wilderness of the foothills of the Spine of the World. The edge of the valley is marked by the Morraines Falls. Beyond lies Dragon Mount, Nedra Gorge, and the Spine.